Dresden's Daughters
by Shadow Crystal Mage
Summary: Harry, after having given birth to his new daughter (it's complicated!) and reconnected with his first one, has to balance the usual screwball mess that is his life with the more mundane screwball mess of being a single parent. Post-Skin Game. Beware Spoilers.
1. Little Sister

A/N: I can't wait for the next book! PAPA DRESDEN!

….

Dresden's Daughters

by Shadow Crystal Mage

Chapter 1: "Little Sister" or "_In which this might be the only chapter"_

Disclaimer: The Dresden Files and all related non-public domain characters are the creation and property of Jim Butcher and is being used here in parody, which is protected speech.

….

Harry nervously cleared his throat. "Maggie," he began, then nervously coughed again.

Sitting on the floor of her room across from him next to Mouse– Maggie preferred having the big foo dog next to her– the little girl looked up at him curiously

Harry gave it one last try. "Maggie," he said, pushing through. "There's someone I'd like you to meet. But before I do, I want to warn you about a few things."

"Like what?" Maggie asked face wide and innocent. Genuinely innocent, not the other kind.

"I'm getting to that," Harry said. "Maggie, the person I'd like you to meet is a bit different from other people. I don't want you to be scared about how she looks. It's not who she is. Okay?"

Maggie nodded, looking curious. "Okay. But only if Mouse likes her. Mouse is smart. He'll knows if she's nice."

Harry wished he could say more, but he didn't dare. He didn't want to scare Maggie, or prejudice the older kids, and he would if he started babbling and trying to explain. He began reaching for the bag at his lap. "Don't be frightened," he said, as much to Maggie as the one he was introducing.

Maggie let out a delighted shriek as he pulled a carved wooden skill out of the bag. Her arm tightened on Mouse as two pinpoints of green flame came to life within the wooden skull's eye sockets. Maggie kept one arm around Mouse even as she leaned forward herself.

"Maggie," Harry said, taking the plunge, "I'd like you to meet your little sister."

Maggie's eye went wide. They went wider as a soft, shy voice from the skull said, "Hello Maggie."

Maggie stared in surprise, but leaned forward some more, raising her other arm, but at the last second seemed to become aware of the arm around Mouse, she paused, then looked questioningly at the dog. "Mouse?"

Mouse let out a chuffing sound and leaned forward to sniff at the skull. Harry obligingly held it out to even, stroking it gently to try to reassure the spirit inside as Mouse made his inspection. At the end, he gave a little doggie smile and made to lick at the skull.

The spirit inside gave a cry of alarm and Harry instinctively pulled it back a little out of his range. Mouse gave Harry a mildly reproachful look. Then he turned to Maggie and gave an exaggerated doggie nod.

Maggie immediately leaned forward, confident in Mouse's assessment, trying to meet the skull's gaze. "You're my sister?" she asked.

Harry felt the skull in his hands trying twitch, and he went with the motion, making the skull nod. "Yes," the spirit of intellect said, and Harry was certain she would have been looking down shyly if she were capable.

"Why are you just a head?" Maggie asked.

"I'm not a head," the young spirit said. "This is just the sanctum I'm in." The green, flame-like eye lights flicked towards the windows. "It's not safe for me to be out during the day. The sunlight would hurt me."

"If you're not a head, what do you really look like?" Maggie asked.

Harry felt a rotating movement of the wooden skull in his hands, as if it wanted to look at him.

"Go ahead," he said gently. "But stay in the room, where we can see you."

At these words, the little spirit flowed out of the skull. She appeared as a small cloud of green mist and light, and twinkled slightly even in the illumination. Her edges wavered and roiled slightly as if she were a flame.

Maggie let out a laugh of delight, clapping her hands. She reached of the spirit, who gave a mild start. "You're pretty," Maggie said.

Harry gently took her hand a lowered it a little. "Maggie, you're spooking her. She's not used to people touching her. She's still only a baby."

Maggie immediately looked suspicious. "I'm not changing her diaper," she declared.

Harry chuckled as the little spirit moved to hover over his shoulder, looking like she was ready to jump down his back if Maggie made another grab. "She doesn't need her diaper changed." He looked at his younger daughter. "You won't need your diaper changed, right?"

"No?" the spirit said hesitantly. "I don't think I will."

Smiling, Harry turned back to Maggie. "Maggie, your little sister needs a place to stay from now on, and I want her to stay with you. I need you to be a big sister and help your little sister get along with the other kids."

Maggie perked up. "Like Molly and Amanda and Hobbit?"

Harry nodded. "Yes, like Hope and Amanda and Hobbit. I need you to teach your little sister how to be a good little girl."

Maggie nodded confidently. "I can do that! Everyone taught me lots."

"I'm sure they did." Harry said.

Maggie untangled her arm from Mouse and held out both hands. "Can I hold her?" she asked. "I promise not to drop her."

The little spirit seemed to flinch, but Harry reached up to gently cup his hand around her. "Sssshhhh, it's all right," he soothed. "She's not going to hurt you. No one here is going to hurt you."

The little spirit seemed go calm a little, allowing herself to be cupped along, staying in the contour of Harry's hand. "Promise?"

"I promise," Harry said. He turned to Maggie. "Maggie, will anyone hurt her here?"

"Nope," Maggie said confidently. "Mouse wouldn't let them, would you Mouse?"

Mouse gave a bark and another exaggerated nod.

The little spirit's shape firmed a little, as if she had gathered herself. "Do you promise on your power?" the spirit said, and Harry had the sudden image of a little kid being solemn and serious.

Equally solemnly and with a straight face, he raised his right hand. "I, Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden do so swear."

"Cross your heart and hope to die?" Maggie chimed in.

"Cross my heart and hope to die," Harry confirmed.

The spirit bobbed a little, as if nodding. "I accept your promise," she said solemnly.

Then slowly, hesitantly, she drifted towards Maggie's outstretched hand…

….

**- To be continued…**

….

A/N: I felt an overwhelming desire to have Harry introduce his two little girls to each other, all right? So sue me.

Please review, C&C welcome.

Until next time, this is Shadow, signing off.


	2. Baby Names

A/N: Yes, she needs a name. So…

… .

Dresden's Daughters

by Shadow Crystal Mage

Chapter 2: "Baby Names" or "_In which this might be the last chapter"_

Disclaimer: The Dresden Files and all related non-public domain characters are the creation and property of Jim Butcher and is being used here in parody, which is protected speech.

… .

_**Baby Names**_

Names, as anyone on the supernatural side can tell you, have power. In the supernatural world, they were a combination social security number, Facebook, and back door to your brain. A lot of beings were literally defined by their names, and changing or otherwise messing with a name can be very dangerous. Extremely so.

Names, as anyone could tell you, were significant. They affected what people called you for the rest of your life. A bad name could lead to suffering for the next twenty years if you were unlucky, and until the day you died if you were REALLY unfortunate. Many a child of the hippy movement introduced themselves as Frank to protect themselves from the shame of admitting their birth certificate read 'Faramir'.

Names, as any parent could tell you, were important. You just didn't pick one out of a book and slap it onto your child. It had to be the RIGHT name. You didn't saddle some poor girl with a name like Gretchen when it as clear she was an Elizabeth. It just wasn't DONE, and the paperwork would have to be glaringly blank until they found the baby's proper name, and screw the hospital's administration.

Names, as any child could tell you, could be frustrating. After all, why should they have to put up with it? They hadn't been consulted, after all, didn't get a vote.

Most of the time, anyway.

"No," the cute, young voice emanating from the lovingly carved if slightly macabre wooden skull said. "No, not 'Kim', father. It builds on a bad precedent. Besides, that Korean lunatic is ruining it."

The spirit of intellect, formerly-and-never-to-be-referred-to-as 'the parasite', no-that-definitely-wasn't-her-name, sat in her borrowed sanctum in the middle if the table. Her family sat around her, her sister Maggie occasionally reaching over to trace one of the many designs carved on the wooden skull. "How about 'Twinkly Smart'?" Maggie proposed. "Because she's twinkly _and _she's smart!"

"No, Maggie," Harry said patiently. It was weird saying that, when his first instinct was to say yes to anything his daughters wanted.

"Cutie Smart?"

"No, Maggie."

Maggie pouted. "Why not?"

"I don't want you sister to sound like a character from My Little Pony," Harry said. "She'll never get any respect when she grows up."

Maggie frowned. "What's wrong with My Little Pony?" she demanded, and Harry could feel the offended challenge.

"Nothing!" he said. "Twilight Sparkle is great! It's just, you know, your sister's not a pony."

From Maggie's expression, she wasn't buying this.

"I also don't want the name 'Athena'," the youngest Dresden said. "I don't think they'd like it."

"Fair enough," Harry said. He paused in thought. "Let's get rid of the bimbo names too."

"What's a bimbo?" Maggie asked.

"Women who aren't very smart and do stupid things," her little sister said promptly before Harry could make some bullshit up.

"Oh, like Paris Hilton?" Maggie said.

Her sister nodded."Exactly."

Harry wasn't sure the warm pride he was feeling at the exchange was socially acceptable.

"Names?" he prompted.

Maggie made a thinking face. "Jenny?"

"Hmm… " her sister said. "Jenny Dresden… I don't know,doesn't sound right. I don't think I'm a Jenny. Besides, daddy killed a monster called Jenny once." Somehow she managed to give the impression of leaning towards her sister. Maggie leaned in to. "She was mean," the spirit confided.

Maggie nodded. "Then it must be a mean name," she said authoritatively. "No mean name for my little sister. We'll get you a nice name." Maggie suddenly grabbed the wooden skull and hugged it. "Because we love you"

Harry was pretty sure the warm feeling this time was perfectly acceptable. And he wasn't crying, he just had something in his eye.

"Uh, how about 'Jedi'?" he proposed awkwardly.

Maggie and her sister both gave him a look. How a wooden skull managed to look as skeptical as the little girl holding her, he had no idea. "Jedi?" they said doubtfully.

"As a middle name?" he said lamely.

The sisters exchanged glances. "He likes Star Wars," the spirit of intellect said, sounding apologetic. "At least it's not 'Leia'."

"What's wrong with 'Leia'? Harry asked.

"Too passive a character," the spirit said ruthlessly. "I want a name that says I _do_ things."

"Her hair is weird," Maggie agreed.

Harry wasn't sure if he should be aghast or horrified. But… Well, at least they got along?

He wracked his brain, trying to think of a name. How did parents do this? The only babies whose reasoning for names he knew had been named after people. "Maybe we're going about this the wrong way," he tried.

Maggie looked up at him ernestly.

"We've just been saying names that soun nice," he said. "What kind of name do _you _want? What do you want your name to say about you?" He paused. "Better yet, what do you want to be?"

"I want to be brave," the spirit said promptly. "I want to be brave and strong. I want to help people and do good and… and… And be really cool!"

"Like Mouse," Maggie chirped.

"We're not calling your sister 'Mouse'," Harry said quickly.

"Of course not," Maggie said as if the idea were silly and daddy ws silly for even saying it out loud. "Mouse is one of a kind!"

Harry ruminated. "How about 'Faith'?" he suggested. "I once knew a very brave, very strong, very smart little girl named 'Faith'."

"Faith Aster?" the spirit said. "Didn't she kick you really hard in the shin?"

"And that was very brave of her at the time," Harry said.

The spirit glanced at her sister. "What do you think?"

Maggie made her thinking face again. "Okay. But only if your nickname can be 'Twinkly Smart'." She gave her dad a challenging look. "It's her nickname, so it doesn't count!"

And what could he say to that?

"Okay then," the spirit said. "But I want a different middle name! 'Faith Jedi Dresden' sounds weird!"

"How about 'Molly'?" Maggie suggested. "Molly's nice. She'll let you have her name."

The spirit brightened. Her eye liights literlly got brighter. "Oh, yes. And I don't have anything of hers, so it's all good." Another thought seemed to strike her. "Can she be my faerie godmother?"

Harry held up a hand. "One thing at a time, darlin'," he drawled. Then, conscientiously, he add, "But we can ask her."

And so was the youngest Dresden officially Named Faith Molly J. Dresden.

Who from that point on was only called Twinkly Smart.

Names had power, after all.

… .

**- To be continued… **

… .

A/N: her name will likely e way different when the next book comes out, but so what? It's the scene that matters.

Please review, C&C welcome.

Until next time, this is Shadow, signing off.


End file.
